The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-05-07
TEMPERANCE.
OFFICIAL STATISTICS.

states bureau OF statistics, lust issued,
there are over twenty pages devoted to
statistics of the amount of rum, in all
Its forms, consumed in the United
States. Our news columns contain
summary of the article We wish,
however, to call the attention of our
readers to the elaborate calculations
made by Mr.. F. n Barrett, the editor
OF the american Grocer, New York, as
TO the actual cost to the drinkers of the
total amount of rum annually con-
sumed in the United States. This
statement is embodied in the report
mentioned above, and receives the in
dorsement of the chief of the bureau as
to the correctness of Mr.. Barrett's
figures.
Mr.. Barrett arrives at the same con-
clusion as does that high authority,
Mr.. Edward Atkinson, that the total
sum spent by the consumers of alco-
holic poison in the United States every
year reaches the enormous amount of
$700,000,000. To reach this result,
Mr.. Barrett uses the official figures fur
nished by the Government of the total
consumption of both domestic and i'm
ported distilled spirits, beer and malt
liquors, and imported and domestic
wines for the past three years-from
1884 to 1886 inclusive-and takes the
average of each to represent the annual
consumption. The statement thus ar
rived at is as follows:
Gallons.
Beer and malt liquors. ............ COZ, 705, 1857
1ntuporteu wines '''''........ 4IoOo64
Domesuc wines Observation-Disclosures. 1881 363
As regards spiItuous liquors, Mr..
Barrett allows ten per cent. for spirits
and alcohol used in the arts and manu-
features, which is the proportion con-
sumed in this way, according to the
opinion of the officials of the Govern
ment But against this he puts the
adulteration by water, etc. He says:
We find, however, that after whisky has left
the bonded warehouse in pure state it is
blended with pure neutral spirits, during which
process small quantity of water is added the
mixture being colored, usually, by caramel of
burnt sugar. Then again it is further reduced
by the retailer. In the better class of bar-rooms
whisky is drunk comparatively pure; in cheap
saloons it is adulterated by water 10 to IS per
cent; in country districts sometimes as high as
% to 30 per cent. In view of this reduction by
water,we assume that it cancels fully the quanti-
ty used in the arts and manufactures and that
the consumer pays for rs, 100000 gallons. II So at
what cost? The bulk of the whisky consumed
costs the drinker five cents per glass; some pay
ten cents, q comparatively few, fifteen cents.
A liberal average would be seven and one half
cents. On the average the retail dealer will
get Gu drinks per gallon, or 1870. The average
wholesale cost is 1925; the cost of high wines
or spirits S115 to S120
Taking the above facts into consideration, we
then have consumed annually 100000 gallons
WHISTLES; 60 drinks per gallon, at IA. or $3.50
per gallon, making total cost of 1897, 900.
He fixes the cost of beer and malt
liquors to the consumer at 80 cents per
gallon. He is led to fix this figure by
the following considerations:
The wholesale price per barrel is s. for 80 gal
Ions, or % cents per gallon. In the pool dis
trict, embracing New York. Brooklyn West
chester, Richmond and Hudson counties, 4,0OO,-
900 barrels are consumed, netting the brewer
$3.50 per barrel as a rebate Of 25 per cent is
given from the regular price. Froth plays a
large part in estimating the cost to the con
sumer. In densely-populated districts the re-
taller of beer has hard work to get cost.
'iWorking the growler" literally means that
the poorer classes of consumers get beer at the
wholesale price Then there is a difference in
classes. The schooner means more beer for
five cents than is obtained when glass of beer
is served. A large quantity is consumed at pic
mics, on excursions, at clubs, and on various
festival occasions which costs the consumer
the wholesale price. This will more than bal
ance the extra cost of the imported article
After a careful study of these points we feel
convinced that 50 cents per gallon fully repre-
SCENTS the cost 10 the OF hocic
we have as the expense to the Nation sos, 705-
367 gallons of beer, at 80 cents, 1904, 49,, 6S3
The cost to the drinker of imported
wines is fixed at 81 per gallon, and of
domestic wines at 81 per gallon. TAX
ing the amounts consumed of each of
these four classes of rum as in the ia
BILE given above, and we have the cost
as follows:
Distilled liquors 1897, 900
Beer and malt liquors 304, $50 6S3
imported wines.......... ............ 16,4O2, CSC
Domestic wines ................ 34,7S2, CSC
Total annual cost ..................S693 53S n25
Illicit whisky and homemade pines. .975
s7OO,oooooO
By curious and complex calculation
Mr.. Barrett reaches the conclusion
1hut, tSIlllldtlHS lHc pOpuldJlOH dG
$500, 900 in 1886, there are IA, 925, All
persons who consume this enormous
amount of rum. This represents 254
per cent. of the total population of the
country-one in every four-and the
greater portion of it, by far, is conferred
in the cities. This allows to each of
these drinking persons 5.3 gallons of
distilled spirits, 1919 gallons of beer
and 1.6 gallons of wine, at a cost to
each of $49.34 per year. The average
cost to every man, woman and child
in the country is S11.95 per year.
The actual cost of the rum which is
sold for 800, 100000 does not exceed
$500, 100000, affording a profit to the
Rum Power per year of $500, 000,0
or 1881 per cent. Pretty good profit!
And it is in this enormous profit that
we find the bitter opposition of the sa-
loonists and other dealers in the infer
nal stuff to any and all efforts on the
part of the people to put a stop to the
damnable trade
In this connection it will be interest
ing to repeat the figures of the annual
II